Hold it! I have it!! And this is now no cynical joke, I mean it serious: what about a Soviet-theme-park? My arguments: the most tourists are NOT coming, because of the "developement" and cheap alcohol here. They sneak for places, wich whitnesses the Soviet-Union. Not without sence the Viru-Hotel opened the 23rd floor, and not without sence they showed it not long time ago in the German TV.
I think, this is really something to make money here, to restaurate a village or district exactly, like it had been during the Commie-time.
Please, think about this idea.
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(Ost)germans were much more sincere commies than Estonians - so that's a better place for a Soviet theme park (or Stasi theme park). Especially considering the big Soviet-Nostalgie in der ex-DDR.
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~@Sceileke
[07.05.2012, 21:47]

"(Ost)germans were much more sincere commies than Estonians "

The state security apparatus CERTAINLY seems to have been far more ruthless than even the Soviets themselves (post-Stalin), although I do wonder how much of it was due to German innate efficiency and also how much was due to the fact that it was policing a country of about 15 million, as opposed to what was effectively the largest country on earth by area, with a population of nearly 300 million by the time it dissolved. I've heard anecdotes about people from Parnu suddenly deciding to go have lunch in Riga and then coming back the same day, indicating that the internal borders were nowhere near as strictly enforced as the outer borders. So they're significantly different challenges to police.

But I'm not sure you can say that the average person in the street was far more "Commie" than the average Estonian. Of course, out of fear they may have informed more on their neighbours or joined the Party more, because their state security was that much more efficient or ruthless.
"(Ost)germans were much more sincere commies than Estonians "

The state security apparatus CERTAINLY seems to have been far more ruthless than even the Soviets themselves (post-Stalin), although I do wonder how much of it was due to German innate efficiency and also how much was due to the fact that it was policing a country of about 15 million, as opposed to what was effectively the largest country on earth by area, with a population of nearly 300 million by the time it dissolved. I've heard anecdotes about people from Parnu suddenly deciding to go have lunch in Riga and then coming back the same day, indicating that the internal borders were nowhere near as strictly enforced as the outer borders. So they're significantly different challenges to police.

But I'm not sure you can say that the average person in the street was far more "Commie" than the average Estonian. Of course, they may have informed more or joined the party more because their state security was that much more efficient or ruthless.
"(Ost)germans were much more sincere commies than Estonians "

The state security apparatus CERTAINLY seems to have been far more ruthless than even the Soviets themselves (post-Stalin), although I do wonder how much of it was due to German innate efficiency and also how much was due to the fact that it was policing a country of about 15 million, as opposed to what was effectively the largest country on earth by area, with a population of nearly 300 million by the time it dissolved. I've heard anecdotes about people from Parnu suddenly deciding to go have lunch in Riga and then coming back the same day, indicating that the internal borders were nowhere near as strictly enforced as the outer borders. So they're significantly different challenges to police.

But I'm not sure you can say that the average person in the street was far more "Commie" than the average Estonian. Of course, they may have informed more or joined the party more because their state security was that much more efficient or ruthless.

~:-[]
[07.05.2012, 23:53]

??? I have no idea how the above post came out like that. Please stop reading after the second paragraph.

Scheileke is both right and wrong. All those other examples he gave, and the Moomins too, ARE far more famous internationally and families with kids would probably go to the relevant country specifically to visit the theme park/museum, in the way they go to France to visit Disneyland or Finland at Xmas to visit Lapland. I doubt they would do this to specifically see "Lotteland".

On the other hand, notice they are opening it near Parnu, which has a significant Finnish presence during the Summer, meaning the market is already there. They'd probably make the bulk of their foreign revenue from this market segment, since it would probably be a nice day out in the middle of the holiday for bored kids, especially if it was a rainy day making the beach a no-go.

As far as the Soviet theme park, yeah I could see that being a decent draw, especially near Tallinn. In Budapest they gathered up all the Communist statues and dumped them in a park and now their tourist guides list it as one of the "must-see" destinations if you are in Budapest: http://www.szoborpark.hu/?Lang=en

Someone mentioned that they should put this kind of park in East Germany instead because of nostalgia but I think they're completely missing the point: such a park wouldn't be for locals, a significant part of whom would have actually lived through the experience anyway, but for foreign tourists, who would find it interesting to see a little of what it was like behind the Iron Curtain. Why else, for example, as Scheileke said above, would German media report the opening of the KGB bar in Viru Hotel? I doubt they would report the opening of "LotteWorld."
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The Soviet-park has to be less an entertainment-park, then maybe it is more for education. And I must say, "park" is also not the real word. In the near of Kalamaja, for example stays an old prison with very bizarre attitudes or maybe a part of Lasnamäe could be used, if You speak before with the district gouvernment and the people.
Another thing is: Eastern Germany was during the Soviettime an own state like Poland, Tchechoslowakia or Hungary. Estonia was pure Soviet and not an own indipendent state. You couldn´t even see it on the worldmap during the Cold-war-time. So the park matches more obviously into Estonia.
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